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Aura, Chi and Chakras... These three words are probably the most overused words in modern metaphysics. Unfortunately these relate to three very real and powerful concepts so we'll have to risk the shame and mention them.

Chi or Qi (pronounced either Chi or Ki)Chiis a shared eastern term for a form of energy thatruns through your body in lines called Meridians. Along these lines there are places where the chi creates vortexes called "Chakras" (Literal Translation: "Spinning Wheels"). Affecting these Chakras can effect other things along the meridians. For example, if one of the meridians connects to your Gall Bladder you can affect the Gall Bladder through a Chakra on that same Meridian on your hand. This is one of the tenants of eastern chi based medicine.

Most people believe that living beings create chi. Some believe it's from the breakdown of Jing (An essential energy that they believe is given in limited amounts at conception and runs out at the same time you die from old age).

The 7 Major ChakrasThere are THOUSANDS of these minor Chakras on the body, however there are a few more popular Chakras commonly called the "Major Chakras". Wikipedia has a great article about Chakras. Until you study more though, the 7 major chakras are:

Top of the head (Spirit)

Behind the Lower Forehead (Third Eye, Perception)

Throat (Communication)

Center Mass - Heart (Emotions)

Solar Plexus (Initiative, Expressions of Power)

Belly (Survival, Living Situation)

Base of Torso between the Legs (Reproduction, Primal expression)

--Not Commonly Believed in-- Between the Feet (Grounding)

--Commonly Believed in, but not Commonly Worked as Major -- Palm where the Hand bends (Working, Giving and Receiving)

The AuraNow the Aura is another concept that's tied to this. There is a second body which overlays the Physical Body commonly called the Energy Body, The Astral Body and/or the Etheric Body. Just as science breaks the Atmosphere down into the Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere and Exosphere, I tend to believe that we can break the body down into: The Physical Body, The Etheric Body and the Astral body.

The Energy Body (Etheric Body)They are all the body, but for the sake of understanding we separately define them in order to better recognize their rules. The physical body is pretty well understood. The Etheric Body will likely need an article of it's own, but in essence (hehe) Ether seems to be a form of energy right near the border between non-physical and physical. Just as light is a particle and a wave Ether is through effort able to be manipulated by thought, but has enough form to stick around. When enough Ether is concentrated, it physically expresses as a clear goo which evaporates (ectoplasm btw). I've experienced ectoplasm a couple times when I was researching shapeshifting, but most people will experience Ether as a form of energy which has substance.

The Astral BodyThis brings us to the Astral Body. Unlike the Physical Body which has form and sticks around, and the Etheric Body which also has momentum, the Astral Body is all about Energetic Expression of Thought and Flow. Astral is the most commonly played with energy by young Mages. This is because if you can imagine something you can shape it into Astral form. (If you ever run across a group of young people who go off on "giant magickal adventures" together it's likely because they are subconsciously manipulating Astral as they mutually write the story of their adventure. The astral forms have enough substance that if one chooses to perceive they can share in the story with the "astral special effects." They are actually perceiving a dragon in front of them, because their friend imagined it with a bit of power)

What most people call Chi Balls are usually almost completely Astral. Wait... where does Chi fit into this?

----V

------^ WOW!

I'm not solid on this, I consider both Ether and Astral as different wavelengths of chi OR I perceive Chi as Astral and Jing as Ether. It depends on which model is more useful at the moment.

Chi BallsYou can tell whether "chi balls" are made of Astral or Etheric Energy by whether it sticks around when you stop thinking about it. An astral ball will exist exactly how you think about it for as long as you think about it. When your mind releases it stops existing. An Etheric Ball has staying power. The Ether can stick around even after its creator stops creating it. Astral is all about modifying the flow of energy. It is a lite enough energy that your thoughts can effect it, but it can also be effected by other things which resonate... Your energy body does so.

SO:

Your Physical body resonates with your Etheric body

Your Etheric Body resonates with your Astral body.

Most people have to work to have their Etheric body extend outside the form of their physical body, however most people's astral body standardly exists both within and surrounding a person. The area of the Astral body which exists outside one's Physical body is commonly called the Aura.

The Aura is extremely responsive to thoughts. If I'm interested in something, my aura will tend to reach toward it. If I abhor something my aura will usually shrink away (Unless I'm a fighter and then you'll see it take a defensive shape). The astral body is a series of flows guided by our Physical and Etheric Bodies, but it can also be manipulated by thoughts. Just as it's easier to move water you're swimming in vs the water that someone else is swimming in, we tend to have pretty solid control potential of our Astral body. This is where the chicken and the egg come in. Just as our Thoughts, Etheric and Physical Body can effect the astral body, the astral body can effect our Thoughts, Etheric and Physical Body.

There is not a direct 1-1 correlation; however, this is why Aura Healers can help people (and how messing with someone's aura can cause physical responses). Everything in these systems are interrelated. If your physical body is damaged it will show up in your aura (in fact, the most common way of using auras to heal is to perceive problem areas).

This bring me to "energy healing." I believe in it. I use it. However, which is easier: Going to work, to earn money, to pay someone, to hire someone to chop some wood for you OR go chop wood?

YES, you can fix many things with thought and energy work. In fact some things (Like Early Cancer and Mild Diabetes) are better healed with energy work because they are compounded by consistently held emotions and thoughts. However, if you break a leg, go to the doctor... Few Shapeshifters are badass enough at Etheric work to shapeshift their leg to health again, let alone some young Mage trying to effect everything through the much less directly connected astral body. Sure, just as changing how a river flows can effect the landscape and thus the course of the river, you CAN change your body by changing your thoughts. Master Aura healers can introduce things into your aura to pressure you to hold your thoughts in a certain way which can over time cause your body to accept the form your thoughts are holding.

However, just as a river is directed by the shape of the earth, your thoughts are also effected by your body. If you have a broken leg it is VERY difficult to decide that you have a healthy leg strongly enough to make it so. Energy healing IS a cure all, but it's rarely the BEST answer. If you choose to make a lifestyle of controlling your thoughts, emotions, astral, etheric and physical body you will find that many dis-eases do not effect you to the same extent that they might effect others. In fact, one's health is a direct expression of their magickal status. There are some awesome Mages in ill health (We tend to forgo efforts to repair something that "isn't interfering" with our lives) however most of them will not complain about their situation. Mages choose our reality. If something is bothering us enough to complain about it, it's usually important enough for us to just do something about it. Persons who are constantly requesting "help" with X,Y,Z health issues are rarely worth their magickal salt.

I have found this model can empower a LOT of things. Little by little I'll add sub-articles to express many of them.